John Shelburne
Technical Leader | Domain Developer | AI Orchestrator
Dallas, TX | [email protected] | LinkedIn | GitHub
Executive Summary
20+ years bridging traditional fixed income markets and cutting-edge technology. Deep expertise in electronic trading systems, FIX protocol, and ML-driven analytics across US and European markets. Acquired and optimized a machine learning platform processing $50B+ daily volume with 91% accuracy. Now designing agentic AI workflows and autonomous agent systems for complex task execution.
Core Value Proposition: Domain expert who builds — from Bloomberg TOMS implementations generating $10M+ recurring revenue to acquiring and operating production ML infrastructure at 80% reduced cost.
Core Competencies
Capital Markets
- Fixed Income Trading & Analytics
- FIX Protocol (20+ years)
- Electronic Trading Platforms
- Bloomberg Terminal / TOMS
- Securities Lending & Bond Markets
- Series 7, 63 (FINRA)
Engineering
- Python, Go, JavaScript/TypeScript
- React, Node.js, FastAPI
- GCP, AWS, Azure
- Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform
- Apache Beam, BigQuery, Kafka
- PostgreSQL, GraphQL, REST
AI & Leadership
- Agentic AI Workflow Design
- LLM Integration & Orchestration
- ML Model Deployment (91% accuracy)
- Enterprise Sales ($10M+ ARR)
- Go-to-Market Strategy
- Cross-Border BD (US/Europe)
Professional Experience
Katana Labs
2021 — Present | Dallas, TXOwner & Technology Lead
- Acquired ML-driven trading IP for £25,000 from ING spinout (peak £5M pre-money valuation)
- Reduced cloud infrastructure costs by 80%+ ($2.3M in total savings) through GCP optimization
- Maintained 99.99% uptime on production systems processing $50B+ daily volume capability
- Achieved 73% latency reduction across distributed processing pipeline
- Technology: Go, Python, Node.js, React, PostgreSQL, GCP, Terraform, Apache Beam, BigQuery, Docker
- Result: 91% accuracy in pair trade identification across 200M+ bond pairs
Katana Labs
2020 — 2021 | London / DallasSales & Business Development Advisor
- Built go-to-market strategy for ML relative value platform targeting institutional fixed income
- Secured Google Cloud Partner Advantage status for the platform
- Drove Bloomberg Terminal integration reaching 325,000+ users
- Led digital marketing and strategic partnerships across LinkedIn and X
- Personally invested in April 2021 EIS round at £5M pre-money valuation
S3 Partners, LLC
2021 | New York, NYSales Development Representative
- Developed enterprise sales pipeline for financial analytics and market intelligence platform
- Collaborated with institutional clients to implement alternative data solutions
- Exceeded performance targets building relationships with hedge funds and asset managers
CatFIX Technology, Inc.
2019 — 2021 | Dallas, TXFounder & CEO
- Founded cloud-native FIX protocol engine modernizing fixed income trading for regional banks
- Developed go-to-market strategy for electronic trading infrastructure solutions
- Built client relationships across Texas regional banking market
- Leveraged 20+ years of FIX protocol expertise to design connectivity and certification workflows
Algomi Ltd
2014 — 2019 | London, UKEuropean Client Relationship Manager
- Managed tier-1 European sell-side relationships including major investment banks
- Deployed ALFA liquidity aggregation platform to tier-1 asset managers across Europe and US
- Implemented Synchronicity and Honeycomb platforms for institutional trading workflows
- Led cross-border expansion positioning Algomi as preferred electronic trading partner
Esposito Securities / Tejas Securities / Southwest Securities
2010 — 2014 | Dallas, TXVice President, Fixed Income Trading
- Oversaw electronic trading systems and fixed income desk operations
- Developed algorithmic trading strategies and enhanced platform capabilities
- Delivered significant revenue growth across all three firms
- Deepened FIX protocol expertise in electronic execution and connectivity
Bloomberg LP
2000 — 2010 | San Francisco, CASenior Sales Executive — Trade Order Management Systems
- Generated $10M+ in recurring revenue through TOMS implementations across 8-state Western US territory
- Achieved 150%+ territory growth over tenure
- City National Bank: Designed complete trading infrastructure for fixed income retail operations
- Bank Investment Group: Created first-ever Bloomberg TOMS solution for interest rate derivatives
- Thomas Weisel Partners: Converted legacy systems to Bloomberg platform
- Trained and mentored junior sales professionals on complex trading system implementations
Education & Certifications
UT Austin · McCombs School of Business
Professional Certificate in Full Stack Development, 2024
Professional Certificate in Cloud Computing, 2023
Texas Christian University
Bachelor's Degree, 1998
Licenses & Certifications
FINRA Series 7 & 63 | Google Cloud Platform Certified